Fingerprints of individual persons have been proven to be virtually unique to the corresponding persons, and therefore are used widely in identification and access applications, where a person is to be identified and/or authenticated for the application. Several fingerprint scanners are known in the prior art, which use different types of scanning technologies. High quality fingerprint scans may be obtained through optical or electronic scans, and such scans may be matched to authentic fingerprint data stored previously. The scans may be combined with advanced computer algorithms or other scanning or detecting methods.
Capturing a pattern of a fingerprint by scanning a finger may be abused by presenting a fake fingerprint to a finger scanner in an attempt to spoof a fingerprint-based identification or authenticating system. For example, a facsimile of a fingerprint on paper or film, possible applied with a liquid, may be used to fake a fingerprint. As another example, a mold of a fingertip made of plastic, glass, metal, rubber, adhesive, silicone, gelatin, etc., in particular as a thin layer on the surface of a real finger, may be used to fake a fingerprint.
A need remains to further increase security of finger scanning.